


now that I've found you

by OTTLCWPTTISPSBQNBTTKs_bitch



Series: Lost and Found [3]
Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Not a single angst in sight, vet au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26306329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTTLCWPTTISPSBQNBTTKs_bitch/pseuds/OTTLCWPTTISPSBQNBTTKs_bitch
Summary: Selected scenes of life after Alyssa takes a lost dog to the animal clinic.
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Series: Lost and Found [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708186
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	now that I've found you

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what this is. But shout out to Thatonegayone for making me finish it. <3

The vet was giving her patient a once over; her eyes narrowed in concentration as she examined the pup’s ear that was two sizes too large for the rest of its body. 

Sitting out in the reception area Alyssa watched the woman work, slightly transfixed. She wasn’t even sure why, but she thought that was the cutest squint she’d ever seen on anyone. 

When the vet ran her hand over the puppy’s head the tiny thing started to whine and then yawned. "Aw, Molly baby, you’re doing great!" 

Molly the frenchie laid back down on the blanket set out on the exam table for her. The vet chuckled and continued to examine the sleepy puppy. 

The light, clear sound of the woman’s laugh floated over to where Alyssa was sitting. It settled in Alyssa’s chest, warm and snug. 

What was it about dogs in the hands of girls that made those girls extra cute? Who knows. But it was a question Alyssa asked herself every Saturday morning when her running route took her through the city park, where there were many a cute girl with dogs. Still, none of them ever had a laugh that was so...

Alyssa swallowed. She tried to chase away that eagerness in her heart she knew too well, that jumpy feeling when it wanted to crush on someone she hasn't even met. Yet.

"Emma," the receptionist called out. "It’s Mrs. Steuben and she really wants to speak with you."

Emma the vet stepped out of the consultation room and cast a glance around. When she looked towards where Alyssa sat their gazes connected. Time didn’t stop, there was no electric current zapping across the room... but Alyssa did feel a bit of damp on her leg. She looked down. The dog on her lap had drooled. Alyssa flushed, grabbed the edge of her sleeve and started dabbing around the pool of dribble from the hapless creature. 

For the most part, Alyssa really couldn’t make out the conversation that Emma was having with the other person on the phone. And she surely hadn't been meaning to eavesdrop. But when she heard Emma say with a sigh, "I promise, Maggie, Meat Loaf’s poop is in safe hands," Alyssa barked out a laugh. 

She glanced over at the receptionist's desk and saw Emma looking directly at her. Alyssa didn’t look away quick enough because now Emma was smirking. Barely. But Alyssa could tell the one side of Emma's lip was curling as she kept talking on the phone. And they were, objectively speaking, very nice lips. 

So, fully mortified at having been caught listening but also by where her mind went after rating the doctor’s lips Alyssa closed her eyes trying to wish the embarrassment away. When the wave of shame left she kept her sight firmly on her phone and started to do some breathing exercises. 

Alyssa was still visualizing the third corner of her box breathing when she heard, "And who do we have here?" Her head snapped up and she automatically said, "Alyssa. Hi." 

Emma the vet was standing in front of her. She looked at the dog and then back at the human. 

Realization hit Alyssa and she immediately pointed a finger at the snoozing schnauzer. "That’s uh, not..."

"Alyssa? Shame. He’s cute enough to be an Alyssa."

"I–”

"Oh my god, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to imply that you’re– You know what, I’m just gonna shut up now." Emma frowned at the clipboard in her hand. "So, anyway. You found this little guy today? Let’s go get him checked out."

Back inside the exam room, Emma again gave her patient her fullest attention. The dog, a raggedy-looking schnauzer had been a dark, furry mass scampering across a busy street when Alyssa spotted it. It took some coaxing. Alyssa had trailed after the miserable looking thing down three long blocks before the clearly-lost dog allowed itself to be picked up. Once he settled into Alyssa’s car, he fell fast asleep. He'd been snoozing comfortably - if the drooling was any indication - against Alyssa the whole time they waited.

Alyssa sat back on the chair, one leg crossed over the other, attempting to project the coolest of facades while she relished this opportunity to watch Emma up close. Emma was speaking softly to the dog. She was also making ridiculous smooching noises as she looked over the shaggy frame, running her hand over his ribs, gently searching for… whatever it was that vets looked for when they were giving dogs a check up. Pretty soon, Alyssa decided she could happily watch Dr. Nolan do this for hours. 

"How old are you, hm? Let’s have a look.” Emma held the dog gently, placing a hand under his jaw to coax his mouth open. “Okay, handsome let’s see those chompers.” She pulled her face into a grimace, as though trying to get the dog to mimic her. 

At this point Alyssa had to revise her earlier assessment about Emma’s squint. Because heaven help her, Emma's face right now with her eyes squeezed shut and teeth bared made Alyssa want to chew on her knuckles. She pulled her hand away and slipped it underneath her leg, shifting in her seat. How many other faces could the woman have that would cause Alyssa to crush even harder?

"He’s just about a year old, maybe less," Emma explained, apparently addressing Alyssa this time.

"Does he belong to someone?"

"Oh yeah, no question. He hasn’t been missing long, but definitely missed a few meals. You hungry, boy? We'll get you something to eat soon." Emma switched between talking to Alyssa and the dog and back again. Then she looked at Alyssa, this time her tone was slightly less excited. "We’ll go ahead and scan for a chip. But my gut instinct says we’re probably not gonna find one."

Alyssa thought about this and frowned. "Should I put out flyers or post somewhere... or something? I don’t know how this all works,” she said.

Emma nodded supportively. 

“Yeah, you could do that. Or, after we get him checked out you can take him to the shelter. We have a couple in town that we work with.”

“A shelter?” 

The schnauzer had been contentedly getting the back of his floppy ears scratched by Emma. But soon as Alyssa repeated that word he turned towards her with dark, sad eyes as though he understood.

"Or you could hang on to him while you put out word? Maybe you might decide you’d like to keep him,” Emma suggested.

There was a split second of hesitation before Alyssa responded. "I don’t know. Does he come with the vet?"

"I’m available. I mean, I can be his vet! But I’m also available–oh... geez..." Emma muttered the last bit.

"I’ll keep that in mind," Alyssa said, holding back a grin.

_––––_

Emma scuffed at the asphalt with the heel of her boot before leaning back against her truck. She had been trying to work out how long it would take her to find another ride and make this house call.

"Hey!" 

It was the cute girl with the lost pup, Alyssa.

Emma broke into a smile at the sight - Alyssa held a crate in one hand and the schnauzer on a leash in her other. It was looking like Alyssa was fostering the dog, if not outright adopting him. And the pup - Alyssa Junior (Emma laughed to herself) - stood there calmly, as if he was always meant to be by Alyssa's side.

"Funny story,” Emma said, attempting to cover up the laugh that inadvertently escaped her. “Uh, I lost my keys."

"Like, you lost them between the clinic and the parking lot?" Alyssa turned her head back towards the entrance of the building that was about fifteen feet away.

"No. I mean- Okay," Emma sighed. "I didn’t exactly _lose_ them." Emma looked down at the steel grates between the two of them.

Emma had walked out the door swinging the keys to her truck on a finger. She was grinning to herself thinking about her last patient, and at the possibility of Alyssa keeping the dog. Which meant she might see them again. The schnauzer was a cutie but Alyssa was... enchanting. 

Emma felt silly using that word but really, it was the closest she could come to describe how it felt the moment she first saw Alyssa out in the waiting room. She just wanted to keep glancing back to the other side of the room when she was on the phone talking to a client about their dog’s stool sample. And how could she not be captivated when Alyssa had said “I’ll keep that in mind”. Her face, the smirk, the arched eyebrow, everything about that moment had made Emma almost ready to throw out the remaining sheen of professionalism and ask if– and that was the point in her train of thought when the key ring slid off a careless finger and fell with a perfect dive into the drain.

Alyssa followed Emma’s gaze down. "Ah... yikes." 

"Yep."

“So what’s the plan? Smash a window to get into that hunk of junk?” Alyssa said, nodding at Emma's truck.

Emma feigned hurt. "Hey, now, this here is the fastest hunk of junk this side of Marion County- _ow_ ,” She winced, having slapped the side of the truck a little too eagerly. “I thought about breaking in. But that wouldn't do me any good soon as I realized I have zero car thieving skills. They don't teach hot wiring vehicles at vet school.”

It was the briefest pause of hesitation by both. In reality, the moment lasted only a second. But in Emma’s head it stretched on a little too long. 

She probably said too much, she worried. It was getting too weird, and she’s made enough of a fool of herself today. When the next second ticked past she started pouring panicked gasoline onto the flames licking at her gut. Maybe she’s made Alyssa uncomfortable, judging by the wary look on the other woman. Alyssa’s brows were furrowed and her lips parted as though she found this whole exchange to be less cute than Emma had first imagined it to be. 

Emma pushed down the feeling of sadness that was rising in her chest before it could ruin her day. Then she pushed herself off her truck, straightening up to say something, to give Alyssa a chance to exit this conversation.

Instead, Alyssa surprised her by her next words.

“Can I give you a ride somewhere, Emma?”

_––––_

When they drove up to the address Emma gave her Alyssa's eyes widened. “Wow. I’ve always loved this house,” she said wistfully.

“Really? Wanna come see the backyard?”

“There’s a backyard?” 

Emma laughed and directed Alyssa to a side street where they could pull up to the back entrance of the property. 

When Alyssa had walked out of the animal clinic twenty minutes ago she had not expected to see Emma again so soon. Emma was standing, well, more like slumped against a truck looking forlorn. When she saw Alyssa though, Emma had flashed her a dazzling smile and before she knew it Alyssa found herself offering to drive the vet to a house call.

Alyssa stepped out of the car and stood staring at the lot of green that looked to be about twice the size of the house. “Holy crap. You can’t even tell from the front there’s all this land back here.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty neat. The owners really put it to good use when they bought it,” Emma said as she reached into the back of Alyssa's SUV to clip a lead onto the still-unnamed schnauzer. “I think Alyssa Junior would enjoy the tour too.”

“Oh, right. Yeah!” Alyssa said, taking the leash from Emma’s outstretched hand, Emma’s joke missing her completely. 

Alyssa watched as Emma went back into the car to grab her work gear. Emma emerged with a backpack slung over her shoulder. She’d fished a baseball hat from the bag, putting it on backwards. Her short blonde curls were sticking out every which way they pleased. Alyssa wondered which column on her lesbian fantasy bingo sheet got filled out today just from watching Emma.

Emma led them towards the far end of the back lot. When they arrived at a fenced-in area Alyssa gasped. “Goats!”

“Goats!” Emma confirmed with a wide grin. “Come on, it’s safe. They’re great with dogs.”

The threesome entered the enclosure and Emma latched the gate behind them. 

A pair of goats came trotting over. They looked up at Alyssa. One even sniffed at the dog before leaping back and then cautiously approaching again. Alyssa tensed and gripped the leash but the schnauzer barely budged, allowing the goat to sniff him again.

“They like you. Both of you!” Emma exclaimed happily. 

Alyssa smiled down at the curious creatures, but her heart was doing that thumping thing again at the sound of delight in Emma's voice. She reached down to pet the brown-coated doe and the goat bleated like a cat purring with pleasure.

“They’re babies,” she cooed. The goat came up to her knees and was about the same size as the schnauzer who had his ears perked, quietly assessing the other creature. Alyssa made a note to Google schnauzer behaviour later.

“Nigerian dwarf goats,” Emma said. “They won’t hardly grow any bigger. These two are the girls, Mocha and Oreo. And...,” Emma spun around and hummed, searching the rest of the enclosure. She pointed to another goat that was determinedly head-butting the feed trough. “And Steve!”

For the second time in a day, Alyssa got to observe Emma Nolan working with animals and she couldn’t think of a more unexpected way to spend her afternoon after spotting the lost dog at the corner of the road.

“So, was no one home?” Alyssa asked as they started back towards the car.

“Oh, yeah.” Emma shrugged. “They're nice folks. They just let me get on with the work.”

Alyssa was back to covertly looking Emma up and down as they walked. The veterinarian now had her baseball hat skewed, shirt untucked on one side, and was covered in dirt from working with the goats. Somehow, all of this translated into a sexy, rugged charm in Alyssa’s very gay brain. She wrestled with the appreciative noise that wanted to escape her. What ended up coming out instead was some gruff grunts. 

It caught Emma’s attention, who turned to check on Alyssa. Emma followed Alyssa’s frozen gaze back to herself and gave a disgusted yelp. 

“Ah, I didn’t even think!” Emma pulled out a towel out of her backpack and attempted to clean while she talked. “Listen... you just... go on ahead. I can’t get into your car in this state.” 

Seeing the grass, mud and general backyard detritus that had gotten onto the lower half of her body Emma must have assumed Alyssa was displeased by the sight. She kept scrubbing at her jeans and checking for missed spots, unaware that as she did this she was slowly turning in a circle.

Alyssa managed to reach in and took the cloth off Emma's hand. She found a clean segment of it and gently wiped the streak of dirt that somehow found its way to Emma’s neck. 

Then she stepped back and said, “It’s fine. My car can handle some dirt. I can't leave you here. That's not how I'd treat my vet.”

Emma's eyes were wide. Excitement couldn’t be clearer on her face. “Your… So you’re keeping him?”

“I mean, I guess? If we don’t find his owners, then yeah, I’d like to.”

“That’s so great. Alyssa Junior-”

“That’s not his name!” Alyssa laughed even as she tried to sound stern. “I don't know his name yet. But _that_ is not his name.”

“Well,” Emma said, another lopsided grin forming on her face, which made Alyssa’s heart go funny again. “Guess I’ll have to wait for the next time for you to tell me his name.”

“Next time, huh?” 

_––––_

Alyssa’s lips were soft. Everything else about Alyssa was soft. But Emma most especially appreciated the softness of Alyssa’s fingers against her skin, fingers that were slowly inching their way up her belly. 

It was the second weekend they were spending together. They were stretched out on the couch. Emma couldn’t remember what they were doing before they started making out. She was sure something else had their attention before they ended up finding each other more interesting. That was until a buzzing sound stopped Alyssa’s hand.

Alyssa dropped her head gently onto Emma's chest. "When you said you were on call…," came her muffled voice.

“It's usually emergencies," Emma said apologetically, grabbing for her phone. 

A few minutes later, Emma was by the front door attempting to put on shoes while still on the phone. 

“Terry, I gotta be honest, that was a question you _probably_ should’ve asked before today. But now you know, your llama and alpaca can in fact make babies together. I’ll be there soon.”

Emma turned around and found Alyssa Junior with a toy in his mouth, expecting their usual game of fetch. Emma loved having the dog over. So much so that she'd never reveal to Alyssa that she still called him by that name.

"Sorry, bud. I promise we'll play soon. Will you go find your mom for me?"

The schnauzer seemed insulted that Emma wasn't getting dressed to go outside with him.

Alyssa walked up to Emma and wrapped her arm around her waist. "How long will you be gone?” She asked, kissing the tip of Emma’s nose. “I need to know how long to miss you." 

Then, Alyssa's hand found its way under Emma's shirt again. Her thumb rubbed back and forth against Emma's skin making the infinity spiral. Making Emma infinitely dumb.

“You’re staying?” Emma asked in wonder. 

For all the physical intimacy, Emma still wasn’t entirely sure where they stood with being in each other’s spaces. They had no plans for the weekend - what with Emma being on call - except to just spend the time together. But it never occurred to Emma that Alyssa would want to wait for her to return.

“I’m sorry. I just assumed...” Alyssa said slowly, as though embarrassed.

“No, stay! I’d like that. Really. I’ll be two, maybe three hours? I-… I’ll be back.”

Five hours later Emma walked through her front door and the humid air inside immediately fogged her glasses up. She pulled her beanie free and shrugged off her coat before taking her glasses off to wipe them on her shirt. The warm was also cutting through the cold of the outside and she felt the sting on her flushed cheeks.

“Hello?” Emma said out loud. Part of her almost expecting no answer.

But Alyssa stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Hi.”

“I’m home.” 

When she said that, a feeling came over Emma and took her by surprise. She’d only said it as a joke. Yet the words for the first time felt like they had weight. She felt buoyant as she said it.

Alyssa reached up and played with Emma's tousled hair. "I missed you. And you look hot."

She said this so matter of factly that it made Emma’s cheeks warm again.

“What’s that smell?” Emma asked distractedly.

“Grilled onions.”

“Onions?”

“I was making lunch.”

“You made lunch?”

“But I guess it’s dinner now. Emma, you know your kitchen can do more than store your takeouts right?”

“What did you make?”

“Um… Pastrami grilled cheese. And soup.”

Emma’s brow furrowed at this. Her stomach did a combination of flopping and growling.

Alyssa looked at her with worry. “What’s wrong?”

“But I love soup," Emma said, as though that explained it.

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

The hand that had been playing with Emma's hair now brushed her bangs aside. "Sometimes, it’s okay to let someone take care of you,” Alyssa murmured before she kissed Emma on her forehead.

Alyssa hooked her finger onto the waist of Emma’s jeans, pulling her even closer. She rubbed the pad of her thumb against Emma’s skin. “Darling,” she said, her nose wrinkling. “You smell like a barn.”

Emma sniffed. "You shoulda seen the other guy." She smirked, pleased at her own terrible joke.

Alyssa buried her face and groaned. Then she pulled away and walked to Emma's hallway closet. Emma watched Alyssa pull towels out. Without looking back, Alyssa called out, "Come on. Shower."

This relationship was new. Some things Emma was still trying to figure out. But she had zero doubt as to what Alyssa’s tone implied with those words. 

And she didn't have to be told twice.

_––––_

The toddler tugged at a book on the shelf. After a few more attempts, she managed to pull it free. The momentum of the book coming off the bookcase caused her to tip backwards. Her newly developed sense of balance while standing upright couldn’t keep up and she ended up on her bum. 

She didn't cry or make a sound. But her companion sat down next to her, offering his body as support.

Her hand gripped the cover of the book, pushing it open. It was a photo album. A fat palm started patting at pictures of a blonde and a brunette. 

Eventually, that stopped being interesting. The toddler got onto all fours and with wobbling confidence once again found her balance on two feet. Paws trailed behind as she stumbled towards a shiny object on the other side of the room that had caught her attention. 

“There you are.”

A blonde woman, the one from the photographs, came into view. A bark from the toddler's companion was followed by the child gurgling at the woman. She held out her hands and was picked up.

“My clever, clever escape artist.” 

The toddler in the woman's arms watched the dog follow quietly behind them as they walked through the house. The familiar way she was being held and the light bouncing of their short journey quickly made her feel sleepy. Soon, she was being lowered onto a bed.

“There you go, my little. Your mama wanted cuddles.”

“You found her,” came the sleepy voice of the child’s mama.

“Just had to look for Alyssa Junior.”

“You’re not teaching our daughter to call him that,” her mama mumbled, holding the toddler closer.

The dog curled himself on the bedroom floor to catch the small column of early morning sun that snuck through one of the curtains. He had carefully avoided the cat who had claimed the larger spot of sunlight from the other window. 

The baby reached a hand out thinking she could pet the dog from where she laid. Depth perception was still a work in progress.

“We really should fix the latch on her crib.” 

Her mama chuckled and said, “By we, you mean me. Hands that can suture a wound on a hamster but can’t use a screwdriver without stabbing yourself in the thigh.”

“The toolbox hates me, okay? But lucky for me, I have you to take care of us."

There was soft laughter and the soothing voices of the child’s mothers were lulling her back asleep.

The last thing she heard was her mama saying, “You’re lucky I found a dog.”

  
  
  



End file.
